Move Over PSP: iRiver's G10 is Coming.....

[Jonathon Watkins]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://engadget.com/2006/01/03/more-deets-on-irivers-wibroin-game-console/' target='_blank'>http://engadget.com/2006/01/03/more...n-game-console/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"We finally got a pic and a few more specs on iRiver's G10 WiBro game console we told you about a few months back. . . . [I]t appears like iRiver's "PSP killer" will sport an 800 x 480 pixel 260k color display, pack in 4 or 8GB of storage, and run Windows CE 5.0. . . . [T]hat WiBro connection will not only be used for online gaming and game downloads, but also provide access to a new iRiver music and movie service allowing subscribers to purchase content, store it in provided webspace, and then stream it to their G10."</i><br /> <br /><img src="http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/images/web/2003/g1001.jpg" /> <br /><br />It certainly looking like a very nice bit of kit. Other places have reported that the G10 <a href="http://www.akihabaranews.com/news-10902-iRIVER+G10+attacks+the+PSP.html">will be running WM5</a>, but CE 5.0 is much more likely. The WiBro support suggests that the G10 will be targeted mainly at Asia (as Korea will be the first country to have a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WiBro">WiBro (Wireless Broadband)</a> network toward the middle of the year, running at 30 to 50 Mbit/s with a radius up to 5km. Seems like the cool devices and technologies always come out in another country, wherever you live. :wink:

[Darius Wey]

It might well beat the PSP on paper, but it needs the market penetration and the publicity before it'll get anywhere. Nice toy otherwise.

[aroma]

My thoughts exactly. It looks like a nice little unit, but I seriously doubt it will hardly be a PSP killer.

[TheZodiac]

Wi-Bro is a Korea only. the US dosnt need another wireless standard - and everyone knows it. SURE, its based on WiFi, but are t hey really going to either deply such a thing in the US or make a G10 with just plain ole WiFi... doubtful.

You never know, but dont count on it.

[Ekkie Tepsupornchai]

I hope there's some ability to flip that screen downwards (though looking at the other Engadget screenshot, it appears to be strictly a slide-out design).

It would be a shame that a device like this, with its moving/sliding parts, leave a screen of that resolution exposed at all times.

[saru83]

this thing is soo cool but i wonder how advanced the games can be on CE 5.0 :?

[Typhoon]

So basically it is a PDA? Anyone know where I can see the specifications?

[Darius Wey]

this thing is soo cool but i wonder how advanced the games can be on CE 5.0 :?

I think it'd be wiser to question the availability of games. They can already get quite advanced, but the range is lacking. Look at how many awesome games are available for the PSP, but not for Windows Mobile or CE.

[Darius Wey]

So basically it is a PDA? Anyone know where I can see the specifications?

Unfortunately, nothing more is known other than what has already been mentioned at Engadget.

[saru83]

this thing is soo cool but i wonder how advanced the games can be on CE 5.0 :?

I think it'd be wiser to question the availability of games. They can already get quite advanced, but the range is lacking. Look at how many awesome games are available for the PSP, but not for Windows Mobile or CE.

Ya Darius, i was wondering if this platform would support games as advanced as the ones available for the PSP, any thoughts :?:

[Darius Wey]

Ya Darius, i was wondering if this platform would support games as advanced as the ones available for the PSP, any thoughts :?:

Hardware-wise and platform-wise, it would have no problems supporting advanced games like those on the PSP. The problem is market penetration. No big-name publisher would be willing to invest $$$ in such a small market. That's why a lot of major titles have made it on to the PSP and not on Windows Mobile and Windows CE devices. And quite frankly, I don't think anything Microsoft-related will succeed in the mobile gaming arena unless some sort of mobile Xbox gaming device is released. It's the familiarity that gives it strength. Everyone knows the PS name and the Xbox name. Not all know the Windows Mobile/CE name. It's an unfortunate fact.

Windows Mobile and Windows CE will continue to excel as excellent PDA platforms, but they're more than likely to flop as sole-gaming platforms on a no-name device.

[jlp]

After all this G10 COULD become the Xbox Mobile... 8)

[Fishie]

A PSP killer already exists, its called Nintendo DS and is absolutely slaughtering the PSP in the market place.
Technically this thing is way more advanced then the PSP is and just like the Gamepark GPX might steal some of the PSPs luster as a portable media machine and emulation station.
Gameswise, few companies will invest in titles like they do for the well known consoles and portables out there.
Making a high profile PSP title costs upwards of 3 million dollar, I dont see anyone doing that for this.
It might profit from PPC/WinCE development though.

[k1darkknight]

A PSP killer already exists, its called Nintendo DS and is absolutely slaughtering the PSP in the market place.
*long and slightly off-topic post follows*

While I don't know exactly how true this is, I DO know (mostly from Best Buy employees, and my own observations) that M$ made a HUGE blunder with their XBox 360 launch. First, they make a console that only plays select original XBox titles, have a VERY limited number of native titles available at launch, and finally, the number of XBox 360s available at launch nationwide MIGHT have supplied all the preorders for my hometown (Dayton, OH). MAYBE. The aforementioned Best Buy employee said that the last time a console launch was THIS botched was the Sega Dreamcast! (remember what happenned there...)
Well, now to my point...With the XBox 360 either on its way to killing M$'s share of the console wars, OR M$ desperately needing to do SOMEthing to draw the attention away from their supply problems, I'd suggest they partner with (gasp!) Nintendo, for the next generation of Game Boy handheld. They could release a device that had the combined hardware of a PPC and a GBA (or better); alternately, they could make a PPC with enough power to play GBA games via an OFFICIAL emulator, which would emulate ONLY the hardware, but would require the actual, physical game cartridge. It would have a GBA cartridge slot, and an SD slot (possibly allowing future GB titles to release on SD?). They could set it up to where it would stay in PPC mode unless you put a cartridge in, then it would give you the option to switch to GB mode or stay in PPC mode.
As far as native Next-Gen GB games, even if released on SD, they could set it up to where you had to have some particular bit of hardware that would be included in this device, or even just some way of recognizing that the device it's inserted into is the Nintendo PPC device, vs some other PPC. I WOULD love to see a W-VGA screen, though, like that used in the PSP and the above featured device. Obviously, classic GB and GBA games would have to be either 'sideboxed' or stretched out, like standard TV on a widescreen HD monitor. In any case, I think such a device would effectively kill off ANY chance anyone would have of releasing a portable game device that could have any hope of competing with Nintendo, and would TRULY be a PSP killer.
No offense intended to any Sony fans on here, but I HATE Sony. I haven't had a standalone game console since my old SNES (I have an N64 but haven't used it since I got it), though I've considered buying a PS2, once they get uber-cheap after the release of the PS3, though I've heard that Sony may make a blunder, themselves, with this one, and their whole DRM deal of possibly making PS3 games only playable on the first console they are inserted into, ala software activation.

I'd LOVE to see Nintendo make a HUGE console comeback! :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

[Typhoon]

Yea, I'd like to see Nintendo make a comeback as well. But with power and graphics of the PS3, I can hardly imagine the Revolution being any better...it could possibly suck. But we will never know until the next several months from now. Does anyone have any idea what the Revolution's graphics might be like? And has Nintendo said anything about any specific date that they might release more info on the Revolution? So far from what I know of is that all we got are just pictures of prototypes.

[Fishie]

Urm yeah
I know a thing or two.
I was in Japan in december to find out more and have a bunch of interviews with vidgame developers etcetera.
Like I said, I know a thing or two but I have NDA´s up the wazoo.

The Revolution wont be competing on power and graphics, just like the DS int competing with the PSP on power and graphics.
The gamble paid of well with the DS, if Nintendo can do it again with home consoles(a much harder market and one they havent led for a long time) they could once again become top dog.

That being said the DS sold over 1.5 million units in December in Japan alone, during the sae time the PSP didnt manage more then 300k

[jlp]

... I WOULD love to see a W-VGA screen, though, like that used in the PSP and the above featured device....

The PSP screen is NOT WVGA, it's LESS than a THIRD of that!!
WVGA: 800x480
PSP: 480 x 272

[Typhoon]

...
That being said the DS sold over 1.5 million units in December in Japan alone, during the sae time the PSP didnt manage more then 300k

Ok, I just read an article on AOL that talked about the aspects of cuteness. Basically what makes things cute and why people like it. The article explained that many different cultures from around the world accept cuteness on different levels. Japan, for example, is crazy about everything cute. Even truck drivers put Hello Kitty figurines on their dashboards--I couldn't imagine that happening in the US. Is the cuteness factor playing a bigger part in the DS's sales in Japan? What are the sales like over here?

[Typhoon]

... I WOULD love to see a W-VGA screen, though, like that used in the PSP and the above featured device....

The PSP screen is NOT WVGA, it's LESS than a THIRD of that!!
WVGA: 800x480
PSP: 480 x 272

Does anyone ever think about movie piracy when all these companies are releasing devices w/huge memory capacities? It doesn't help stop the movie and music activities.

[Fishie]

...
That being said the DS sold over 1.5 million units in December in Japan alone, during the sae time the PSP didnt manage more then 300k

Ok, I just read an article on AOL that talked about the aspects of cuteness. Basically what makes things cute and why people like it. The article explained that many different cultures from around the world accept cuteness on different levels. Japan, for example, is crazy about everything cute. Even truck drivers put Hello Kitty figurines on their dashboards--I couldn't imagine that happening in the US. Is the cuteness factor playing a bigger part in the DS's sales in Japan? What are the sales like over here?

The DS isnt really cute, its a big ugly brick.
Its the games that make it sell and yes its selling better currently in all three main regions(NA, Europe, Japan), the lead in the west isnt as big as it is in Japan but it is selling higher volumes then the PSP everywhere at the moment thanks to great software, something the PSP has a huge lack off.

[beq]

I'd bought four PSP's and one Nintendo DS myself... My gf has been really wanting to try Nintendogs on the DS, heh.

[Fishie]

Heh Nintendogs is selling a lot of DS hardware.
While it isnt ven a game as such.
Try out stuff like Sonic Rush, Puyo Pop, The Rub Rabbits, Mariokart, Castlevania etcetera etcetera.
Those are GAMES one should lay.

[Typhoon]

I remember hearing about the first game that everyone who bought a SNES console bought. That was Street Fighter. Sometimes it's just a single game that sells a system.